Introspector
by Sveinity
Summary: It started with a can of Ponta. [TezukaxRyoma Valentine's Special]


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis. I do not own the characters of Prince of Tennis. The only thing I can claim is whatever is _not_ present in the anime and/or manga. But if I did own PoT...

**Pairings:** Tezuka/Ryoma. If you don't like or don't approve, just remember that I don't care. Tell me if you must, I'll only laugh.

**Summary:** It started with a can of Ponta. (Valentine's special)

* * *

It started with a can of Ponta. At a party. With a house full of people. Echizen Ryoma just knew that he should have skipped afternoon practice. Then, he would not be sitting in a circle, surrounded by two dozen or so other teenagers – playing spin the bottle, of all juvenile things. 

At a party.

With _his_ can of wasted grape Ponta.

Surrounded by people he had no interest in spending Valentine's Day with.

"Nya! I wanna go!" Kikumaru complained with a huff, speaking loud enough to be heard over the chatter and dulled music.

"Eiji, wait a little longer. It's Echizen's turn," Oishi attempted awkwardly to console his tennis partner.

"Ochibi! Go, go!" Kikumaru encouraged enthusiastically, impatient for his chance at a guaranteed kiss.

"No."

"What? Ochibi, you _have_ to go!"

Echizen purposefully kept his mouth shut, face set in a dark scowl. His eyes seemed to challenge every one who looked; as if to say _"Oh, really."_

"Echizen-kun," Fuji called softly, trademark (sadistic) smile illuminating his face, "We will let you leave if you take your turn."

"We will? Fuji!" Kikumaru protested, "That's no fun! If we let Ochibi go, he won't spend the holiday with someone special. He's too grumpy. We can't let him be _alone._"

"Whatever. One turn and I'm gone." Echizen muttered stubbornly, mechanically reaching out to spin the Ponta can.

The entire group sat in silence, anticipating who the receiver of the Prince of Tennis' kiss would be. By this point, as the can seemed to go on and on forever, Echizen had had more than enough. He figured that he'd taken his turn and the world be damned if he was going to wait around and _kiss_ someone he had no desire to kiss. Unfortunately, he got so far as standing up before several people gasped in surprise. Apparently the can had stopped – and it was pointing directly at Tezuka.

"This had a 28 chance to happening," Inui informed the stunned group, "But if we count it happening to Echizen and Tezuka, the percentage is far less."

"Should Echizen-kun spin again?" Kawamura questioned, blushing just as much as Kaidoh was next to him; his question nearly going unheard because of Momoshiro's inane hysterics.

Echizen found himself paralyzed. There was no way he could run now; not when Tezuka was looking directly at him. How could he? The tennis captain always had a demanding presence, and now was no different. If it had been someone else, _anyone_ else, there would not have been a problem.

_It is_, He silently corrected himself, _this isn't _normal. _Having to kiss Tezuka-buchou is _very_ different… Will he let me?_

After all, each time the can of Ponta had landed on Tezuka, he had politely refused. Many from the girl's tennis team had wasted their turns, fruitlessly hoping to have their spin land on the handsome third year _and_ be accepted.

"Echizen-kun," Fuji caught the younger boy's attention, still smiling pleasantly, "No rule was set opposing same-sex pairs."

No protests arose, though many probably were squirming with want. Fuji had made it clear to all that Echizen had to finish his turn. And if going against Fuji's word wasn't enough, Inui had that same gleam in his eyes when he was ready to collect data, notebook out and pen poised for furious writing. Even Kikumaru looked so excited that Oishi feared he might suddenly combust or wet himself or… something.

"Buchou?" Echizen questioned carefully, looking at Tezuka with a guarded expression.

After receiving neither verbal acceptance nor rejection, Echizen knelt before him. It was a little daunting to be eye-level and face to face with Tezuka; though Echizen would admit it only to himself.

_What am I supposed to do? I've never thought about kissing someone. I don't want to do it wrong. Especially not in front of them, _Echizen's eyes narrowed unconsciously, _not with _Tezuka.

His hands slowly reached towards Tezuka's face, pausing fractionally before gently removing his glasses. Placing them on the floor, Echizen cautiously glanced at the captain from under the cover of his hat and fringe.

_No change. Can he still see? Buchou is looking right at me, but that doesn't mean a thing… What's he thinking?_

Letting out a deep breath, Echizen tried to stop all fleeting thoughts from passing through his head. He could do this. Kissing wasn't an art. He could do this.

"Get on w- "Kikumaru was cut off by Fuji, who shushed him, and Oishi who immediately clamped a hand over his mouth.

Echizen didn't hear them. It was just him, Tezuka, and his thoughts.

_How will it feel? Will I like it? Will I want to do it again?_

He leaned forward, the space between them steadily decreasing. He could feel Tezuka's breath on his face. It was nice; fresh and natural. He stopped, millimeters away.

_Mada Mada Da-_

Echizen couldn't breathe. Their lips were brushing together and his body had forgotten how to function.

But that was okay. It was okay.

His eyes fluttered shut, hands bunching in the material of Tezuka's cotton shirt. He pulled him closer without thinking. The kiss deepened, lips molding and kneading, until Echizen pushed forcefully away.

_What have I done?_

Panting, he denied them all the satisfaction of seeing his sudden explosion of sensibility. Echizen stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He left. Up the stairs and through the hall, he opened the front door – and found rain. Lots and lots of rain.

"Great," He mumbled, stepping outside.

He glared spitefully up at the gray-black sky, droplets of water stroking his face. Echizen wasn't even half way down the sidewalk before his hat had soaked through and his hair was dripping.

_What have I started?_

Echizen cradled his arms to his body, one hand placed over his heart with the other tucked under his armpit. He felt strange. He could almost say that his chest… ached. Blood was rushing in his ears, louder than the rain pouring down in diagonal sheets.

It was becoming harder to see, he realized. His eyes wouldn't focus quite right. Though the sun wasn't visible, what light it produced was quickly fading in to darkness. It was late.

_I'm cold._

Echizen couldn't remember how long he had been walking, or even if there had been a destination. But he was soaked and chilled and figured that he should probably get home… if he could find it.

So he ran. And ran and ran and ran. Echizen ran until he could run no more; until his lungs threatened to collapse and a stitch punctured his side; until he recognized the scenery.

Exhausted, he rest under a tree. It was on the outskirts of a park that lie on the way to his house. Home wasn't that far now. What was another three or four minutes in the moisture pocket when he was already dripping rain and sweat?

Crouching for warmth, Echizen realized that he was shaking.

_That's strange. I wonder why…_

He awoke in a bed, cocooned in seven blankets. A cup of tea was waiting on the bedside table.

_A…Dream…?_

Echizen sat up groggily, head rushing with blood. Falling back almost instantly with a groan, he tugged the covers over his head.

_Let me go back. _

He heard the muffled sound of the door opening and footsteps drawing closer. Something was set down on the side table.

_Who- No. I don't want to know._

Unfortunately for him, the blankets were drawn back. It was all Echizen could do to not stare directly up at his supposed captor (or savior, depending).

"Why are you here?" Okay, stupid question.

"What were you thinking?" Tezuka returned, face locked in its usual sternness.

When Echizen did not answer, Tezuka handed him a fresh cup of steaming tea: Vanilla Chai, his favorite. As he drank, the tennis captain sat on the edge of the bed – probably brooding about this or that.

_I'm at his house. Am I in his bed?_

"Have I been here a while?" Echizen felt compelled to ask.

"A few hours," How informative.

"Why bring me here?"

"I spotted you under that tree and assumed something had gone wrong. The park is closer to my house than yours."

_More silence. I feel like a girl. This is stupid. I should say-_

"What happened?" Echizen was somewhat surprised by the heat in Tezuka's gaze.

"I was mugged."

"What really happened?"

He shrugged, setting his empty teacup in his lap. Echizen stared at Tezuka, almost challengingly. He felt awkward and embarrassed and just wished that he could disappear – but he wouldn't show it. He couldn't let the evening's earlier events affect him more than they already had; look where that had landed him.

_What's wrong with me?_

"What time is it?" Echizen looked for a clock.

"Almost eleven o'clock."

"I should get home." _Wait…_

"I'll walk you."

"There's no need." _No…_

"It's not safe to be out alone at this time of night."

"I'm not going far." _No! _

"I don't mind."

"Whatever." _What am I saying?_

"Let me get you some clothes," Tezuka stood, walking over to a dresser across the room.

_Clothes?_ Echizen peeked under the covers and nearly choked, _Naked; completely exposed!_

"Eh…Thank you." _I think…_

Tezuka returned and set down a few choice garments on the foot of the bed.

"These are the smallest I have. I apologize that your clothes have not been dried yet."

"Che. Buchou, I'll just get them tomorrow."

"I'll be out in the hall, then."

Echizen's hand shot out before he could stop it, latching onto Tezuka's arm. The empty tea cup fell from his lap, crashing to the hardwood floor. The older boy flashed a questioning look at him, starting to bend to pick up the shattered clay. Echizen didn't have an answer. In stead, his grip tightened and his arm retracted, pulling Tezuka towards him.

_Not like this…_

Echizen became lost. His body began to tingle with unfamiliar feelings. And for once in his life, Echizen could not decide what it was that he wanted; what he _needed _and _craved._

_I can't let it end like this._

He pushed up from the bed, fingers scraping gently down Tezuka's arm to curl around his wrist. Echizen watched the way Tezuka's face remained _almost_ the same. How his brown eyes would narrow briefly to portray thought, the slight scrunch of his eyebrows. His chiseled face was beautiful - Echizen could not deny it - but his beauty increased tenfold once he looked like he cared.

Echizen encircled his captain's neck with his free arm the very moment he could reach, sinking back on to the bed. Tezuka had no choice but to follow him down, inches of nothing separating them. Ignoring his thumping heart, Echizen deliberately molded his lips against Tezuka's for the second time.

It felt better than he remembered.

* * *

**A/N:** This isn't the longest thing I've ever written, but I really enjoyed it. Though it's a bit early, I just had to write a Valentine's fic. PoT is one of my newest anime obsessions (I've been a youtube whore for the couple of weeks) and Tezuka/Ryoma is definitely a top OTP. 

So what did _you_ think of it? Was it too OOC; fluffy and lacking? Please tell me in a review. I think I might add a sequel to it (probably a chaptered one), but most likely it won't arrive until I finish everything else. I'm too busy to write everything all at once. And for that I apologize.


End file.
